Collapsible and convertible chair.



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G. NOHBERTI.

COLLAPSIBLi ANG CONVEBIIBLE CHAIR.

APNIC/umu mio $511,114,191@

1 ,240,243 Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

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UNITED STATES OFFICE.

GIOVANNI NORBERTI, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COLLAIPBIBLE A ND CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

specification of Letters Patent.

Application Aleid February 24. 1916. I Serial No. 80,143.

ings is embodied in a, structure that is designed especially formilitary hospital` use', its compctness when collapsed facilitatingstorage and transportation, and its several uses making it particularlywell adapted to fulfil the requirements of military field operations.

Referrin to the drawings that form a part of this specifications-- Fi`re 1 represents a side elevation of a collapsible folding structureembodying the present invention and adjusted to form an arm chair. Anadjustable leg-rest and n. foot-rest arranged to support the latter, areindicated by broken lines.

Fig. '2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the structureshown by Fig, 1 adjusted to provide a cot or table as the ease may be.

ig. 3 represents an end elevation of the sidestructure in the conditionrepresented by Fig. 2, the direction of view bemgvfrom r1 ht to leftwith reference to Fig. 2.

ig. 4 `refnesents a side elevation of the structure at the lefthand ofFig.' 2, the element hereinbefore referred to as si legrest beinarranged in position to serve as a hee -rest, and a movable extensionbar being shown in extended position to afford means whereby thestructure may be carried when used as a stretcher.`

Fi 5 represents a top plan view of the comp ete straf-ture collapsedinto a sulrstan tiali Hat form for storage or trensportatiori.w`

T e same reference characters .indicate the same parts wherever theyoecur.

Referring to Fig, 5 the struetare'lnelndes two open rectan nllar framesone of-which is .arran ed insi e the other in nested relation. 'I ieouter or larger one of said frames comprises parallel side bars 10, 10,a crossbar,11 connecting bars 10, 10 near one end and a erosslbar 12connecting bars l0, 10 near the other end. The inner or smaller one ofsaid frames comprises longitudinal bars 13, 13, a` cross-bur 14connecting the lat ter near one end, and a cross-bar 15 con* nretingbars 13 near the other end. These two frames are connected, one with theother. by pivot members or trunnions 16, 1` the latter being arranged toextend through bars l0 and 13 on a common axis. Members 16 extend alsothrough links 17, 17 of armrests 18 hereinafter described Cross-ber 15isinthjs instance a relatively small rod and is sarroamled by a sleeve19. A rectangular sheet :lo of suitable thin sheet material such ascanvas is anchored at one end to cross-bnr 11 (Figs. 1 and 2.) and atthe other end'it extends around sleeve 19, being provided with-a loop orpocket 21 therefor. The cffet-tive length of the sheet material 20 issuch that said element is' drawn tight bythe two said frames when thelatter are nested substantially in a common plane as shown by Figs. 2and 5, the sheet material in such case being adapted to serve as a tabletop, or as a bed bottom, as the case mcy be. On thel other hand when thetwo seidV frames are adjusted to any one oftheir several chair-formingangular relations (see Fig. 1l the sheet materia 20 is slackened andserves as a chair-bottom and back-rest.

The two said restan lar frames are ea puble of being adjuste to a lumltyof an-` gular relations to aiord rec ining, positions of differentdegrees, and 4for this purpose said larger or outer frame is providedwith struts 22 and the bars 13 of the smaller a, tllftture is adjustedto form n chair. This fooifrestis capable of Swingin relatively to thehars 10, 10, bein connect to thel latter by ivot members 2 27. Struts 98are ear Patented Sept. 18,1917.

'IIS

riet by the footrest and are connected to the latter by pivot members99. 29. The struts are connected by cross-bar 430 so that they are toall intents and pur roses a unit.

` When it is desired to use the e ement 26 as a footrest the struts Q8are placed in the position shown by solid lines 1n Fig. 1, but

when scid element is not being usi-d :is :i footo'est the struts arecapable of being folded into nested relntion therewith un shown by Figs.Zend 5.

A leef 31 is mounted upon rod 1.5 and is capable of swinging about theletter. rllhis leef is adopted to serve :is a. leg-rest or as nhead-rest, according to whether the entire structure is in chuir-form,or in bed-form. As shown by broken lines in Fig. 1 the elcinent 31 is inposition to serve as :i leg-rest, end the element 26 as reiiresented bybroken lines is arranged to engage und support the lower end of theleg-rest. For this purpose the leg-rest is provided dwith a. pluralityof notches 32 into which the free end ofthe foot-rest in ay be inserted.By shifting member 2G from one notch 32 to another the angu lsu'position of the leg-rest muy be changed. ln this connection it is to benoted that the chair is adjusted to its most upright position, end thatif it were adjusted to n position of relativi-ly great reelination therod would bc considerably lower than it is according to Fig. l. Thiswould have the clfeet o'l pinning the leg-rest in u position more nearlyhorizontal than that shown.

The arm-restsI 18 nre connected to thc links 17 by pivot members 33.Links 34 connect the armrests with struts 22. The members 22 and 34 ,areconnected by pivot membersv 35. Screw bolts 3G connect links 34 with thearm-rests, and thumb-nuts37 having screw-threaded connection with bolts36 are arranged to bear against the sides of the i arm-rests to clampthe latter `against the links 34. By so clamping the arm-restsrclutively to the links the former may be held stationary, but when theclem ing stress is relieved the armrests may moved to various positions.

Then it is desired to convert the struc turc into a, table, or into a,cot Without a head-rest, the leercst may be moved into nested positionas shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Continuing the transformation of the structure from e chair to e tableor cot, the thumb-nuts 37 are loosened to afford free*- dom of movementof the arm-rests. Struts 22 are detached from bars 13 -thun permittingthe two said rectangular frames to be moved relatively to each otherabout their pivots ortrunnions 16, to the nested relation shown by Figs.2 und Sheet material 20 is thus tightened forming' e suitable top for a.table or n. suitable bottom for a bed. Relori-iup,r to Fig. 2 the bersI3 are retniru-,d in the position shown, by e pair of locking platesfll. These plates are mounted upon .nnss-bar 'Il by ineens of pivotmemhersfl. Preparatory to moving the trames to nested relation plates ilwould be moved to make a haar posseggo way` for the ends of bers 13 :indwould then be moved under Said ends 6 :is shown bv Fitz. 2.

The clement 26 is usable to support one end of the larger l'rnme whenthe structure is adjusted in the form of n table or bed, und :1t thesuine time movable legs 50 nre usable to support the other end.` Whenthe element 26 is used for the purpose lust stated it may be locked inthe desired angular relation, :is shown by Figs. 2 und 2i, by brucos 5l.'lhese braces are connected to bars 13 by pivot .members 52, und theyare provided with cyl-.s adopted to fit over the projecting ends of'pivot pins 29. ]n order togunrd aguinst accidental dislodgment of thebruce rods 51 from the pins 29, thc element 26 is provided withretaining devices 53 each oi' which is in the form of' e leaf spring.The devices 53 :ire affixed to the element 2G 'und cover the outer endsof pins 29 but they may be sprung outwardly from the endsof seid pins.Eyes 55 formed in the members 53 :ire adapted to receive the ends olseid pins, und when the free ends of members 53 are swung away from thepins the members 51 may be nttuehed to or detached from the pins. Whenthe lim-:3e rods 5L riot used es such they muy he arrnnged to extendsubstantially pnrullel to the bars 13, and to overlie the retaining pins56 that projwt from the confronting faces of seid bars for that purpose.

The legs 5U tluit are usable to support the other end of the structureare connected to a. cross-har 57 byqpivot members 58. The ends of ber 57are mixed to' hers 10, 10. The legs 50 are represented in supporting'position by solid lines in Fig. 3, und erev represented in foldedposition by broken lines in the same figure. A movable retaining device59 connected to cross-bar 5'? by a ivot pin 60 is adapted to hold thelegs in olded position. The free ends of the legs huve reduced portions61 that are adapted to enter eyes 62 formed in plates 63 nilixcd to thefree ends 0f struts 22, and when the legs :md struts are.

connected in the relation shown by Figs. 2 and 3 the load upon the legsis sustained by plates 63. The reduced ends of the legs do not touch thefloor, ground or other supportingsurfece, the greater urea of the endsof struts` 22 being utilized for that purpose.

.If it should he desired to provide the cot with a hcndrest the elements31 may be used for that purpose. In such case element 31 would bearranged to project over bar 12 as are arranged to coact with two of theguides 65 to prevent the members G4 from being withdrawn from theguides.

"I claim:

1. A collapsible structure comprising two rectangular frames arrangedone within the other, coperative trunnions connecting said frames, saidframes being capable of relative angular movement about said trnnnions,a rectangular sheet of thin flexible material fastened at one edge toone of said frames and at the opposite edge to tbe other one of saidframes in lines parallel to the axis of said trnnnions, said framesbeing arranged to sustain said sheet material in a slack condition andin a tant condition according to`their angular relation, bracing meansarranged to brace said frames in chair-forming relation with said sheetmaterial in a Slack condition to form the seat and back, a foot-restpivotally connected to one end of the outer said frame, two coperativelegs pivotally connected to the other end of said onter frame, said legsand said hraeine means having separable portions arranged-)to coaet tobrace said legs in framesnpporting position. and means arranged to bracesaid foot-rest in frame-supporting positin.

3. A collapsible structure comprising an open rectangular frame, asmaller open rectangnlar 'frame arranged within the first said frame,trnnnions connecting said frames so that they may be nested 1n a commonplane and moved relatively to various angular relations, a rectangn arsheet' of thin flexible material fastened along one edge to one of saidframes and along the opposite edge to the other one of Said frames,where by it is held tant to form a bed-bottoni when said frames arenested, and whereby it is snstained in a slack condition to form achairseat and chairwbaek when said frames are 1n an angular relation*meansI arranged to hold said frames in chair-forming angular relation aleg-rest pivotally mounted on Said smaller frame, supporting meanspivotally conneeted.to tbe first said frame and arranged to sustain saidleg-rest in operative position when said frames are in chair-formingrelation, said supporting means being arrangeable to support one end ofthe first said frame when said frames are in said nested relation, saidleg-rest being arranged to be sustained by said frames. conjointly, toprovide a head-rest when said frames are in said nested relation` andmeans arranged to support the other end of the first said vframe whensaid frames are in said nested relation.

NORBERTI GIOVANNI. Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. EDWARDS, Maar E. BURT.

